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In September, England's curriculum is changing for key stages 1, 2 and 3. This week, teachers reveal how they are approaching history
Primary
Many of us will recall the furore surrounding the first draft of the national curriculum for history. Teachers, including my colleagues, voiced concerns regarding subject knowledge, resources and the perceived loss of popular topics. It seems that the Department for Education listened, and the revised final programme of study has been received with far less hostility.
History has a prominent position at my school. Classes often explore historically themed topics, promoting cross-curricular learning. Over the years, parents have stood waving as coachloads of Celts, Tudors, Victorians and Second World War evacuees have taken an educational trip back in time. But can such popular contextual activities continue? And, more importantly, should they?
Ofsted's 2011 report History for All stated that the subject was "episodic" at many schools and that although children possessed knowledge of specific periods of time, they lacked a wider understanding of the past and chronology.
Recently, thematic learning has been criticised as having a negative impact on history progression. This was concerning for us and has had an impact on our discussions and planning for September.
To clarify the new requirements, we unpicked the densely written "purposes of study" and "aims" from the curriculum, dividing the information into three domains: subject knowledge, concepts and skills.
These steps have given us the confidence to continue to plan and teach in a thematic manner, while ensuring that our curriculum mapping and lesson planning has specific objectives, promoting clear progression in the three key areas.
We are determined to maintain our pupils' passion for history. A film that I recently made with a Year 4 class about the Battle of Bosworth Field demonstrates the children's desire to be not just learners of history but also teachers who share their knowledge with others. This growth mindset underpins the culture of our school, so rather than hiding behind shaky subject knowledge and textbooks, teachers are excited to investigate new eras with their classes.
Recently, an Iron Age roundhouse was built on the school field to bring the past to life. Plans are now under way for an archaeological dig in the school grounds, and we...